The Colonial Estimates published in the Times on Monday show
that Germany is not finding her colonies a less expensive luxury than before. The expenditure for 1904 is estimated at 38,000,000 marks, and the receipts at 11,000,000 marks,
making necessary a contribution from Imperial funds of 27,000,000 marks. Both expenditure and receipts show a slight increase, but the balance is in favour of the receipts, so that as compared with last year there is a slight decrease in the Imperial subsidy required,—a saving of something like 174,000 marks. The most important of the colonies is German East Africa ; then comes German South-West Africa ; and last of all conies Kiao-chow. With Estimates such as these it must be difficult to rouse much enthusiasm among the German people for their Colonial Empire. We wonder what Britain would say to an Empire whose total revenue amounted to less than a million sterling, and whose expenditure outweighed its receipts in the proportion of three to one.
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